A chilled Filly

Monday 13 January 2014

Learning to pony colts

Just back from a day at James Roberts yard. I took my friend Liz who I have introduced to NH. I thought it time she saw a proper professional at work so arranged with Josh, who was James apprentice, to go there for the day.
Josh has just got a new Andalusian mare. Bought her on Saturday. She's ten years old and has hardly been handled. He knew we were coming and also knew that Liz had started a fair few colts using traditional English methods. He started by ponying the new mare form his other horse Mocho. Then did the first saddling and first sit on the saddle as a demo for us. Liz seemed very impressed as to how relaxed and calm it all was.
After lunch it was my turn to try ponying another horse for the first time. I was given a quarter horse to ride and another quarter horse to pony. As always I ran quickly through the Plan prior to mounting and then checked my horse, Dalton, out before being handled the colt.
That is where the fun started ! I now had Daltons reins and the lead rope to the colt in one hand and a carrot stick in the other. Josh told me to work out for myself how I found the reins and lead rope most comfortable to handle. I needed to be able, with one hand, to use the reins on Dalton and adjust the lead rope for the colt. On top of that I had to use the stick to direct the colt if the pressure from Dalton was not sufficient, protect Dalton from the colt and vice versa.
This was not just straightforward leading you understand. I was also using Dalton to get the indirect/direct rein response established in the colt. This basically consisted of driving Daltons nose into the flank of the colt so that he yielded his hind quarters then once the hindquarters had yielded away sufficiently walking forwards to apply a direct rein and step the front legs of the colt through.
On top of this I had to be sure that neither horse got claustrophobic against the school wall and both had the ability to move away if worried.

To say this was tricky was an understatement. By the end I had started to work out my hand on the rein/lead rope, and we got a few yields achieved.

I can't wait to do more of this. It gives all the yields I've been working on with Filly and Bonitao a true purpose other than just looking pretty.

Liz remarked how great it was seeing me struggle with ropes for a change after I have spent many hours helping her with the intricacies of 22 foot rope handling. At least I only dropped the stick once :) .

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